Slider for zip-fasteners



April 23, 1968 G. BERNAscoNI l SLIDER FOR ZIP-FASTENERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 25, 1966 April 23, 1968 G. BERNAscoNl 3,378,894

SLIDER FOR ZIP-FASTENERS l Filed May 2s, 196e 2 sheets-sheet,

United States Patent O 3,378,894 SLIDER FOR ZIP-FASTENERS Giuseppe Bernasconi, deceased, late of Chiasso, Switzerland, by Pietro Bernasconi, executor, Mendrisio, Switzerland, assignor to Metallo S.A., a corporation of Switzerland Filed May 23, 1966, Ser. No. 552,343 Claims priority, application Switzerland Dec. 13, 1965, 17,247/65 4 Claims. (Cl. 24-205.14)

ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A slide for zip-fasteners with a locking spring which passes with one angled end through a slot of the slide and engages between the teeth of the zip-fastener to lock the same in position, the slide being slidably accommoda-ted in a C-shaped bracket of double T section having a movable pulling tab.

The locking spring extends along the upper surface, through a slot in the joined end, and along the lower surface terminating in a lower angled end which is engageable by a stop on the bracket for limiting the movement of the slide. The spring is actuated by a transverse pin on the bracket engaging an obtuse angle adjacent the angled end.

Zip-fasteners with locking devices are already known, such devices providing, for example, that the pulling of the operating tab (or drawer) of the zip-fasteners causes the toothed edges of the zipper to become engaged or disengaged `respectively and left in any desired position.

However such locking devices have the inconvenience that any kind of accidental movement of the tab, even if the slide itself is not touched, may bring about the opening of the Zip-fastener.

For this reason it is clear that the Zip-fastener may come open quite by chance, without any action on the part of the user; this inconvenience -is often due to the very movements of the users body, especially if he is engaged in any form of physical exercise.

Furthermore, in some kinds of zip-fasteners, the drawer (or pulling tab), which is provided with a projection which engages in the teeth of the Zipper may become worn out by continuous use and yet be unable to be replaced.

Zip-fasteners are also known which are provided with one or more elastic means l(springs) which engage in the teeth of the zipper itself. The slides of such zip-fasteners, however, cannot be disassembled and therefore, if either the elastic means or the pulling tab is broken, the whole device becomes unserviceable.

The present invention is intended to eliminate the above-mentioned inconveniences and relates to a slide for zip-fasteners provided with an automatic spring-operated locking device, both the spring and the pulling tab being easily replaceable.

Furthermore, :when the slide is in such a position that the toothed edges of the zipper a-re locked, the pulling tab is left `free (disengaged) so that the toothed edges cannot be unlocked by any accidental movement of the pulling tab but only as a result of a deliberate pull exerted upon such tab.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the most important Afeatures are shown in thick solid lines.

FIGURE 1 shows the slide, according to the invention, in an enlarged lateral view, with the locking device shown ice in the position in which the toothed edges of the zipper are locked.

FIGURE 2 is a view from above of the slide shown in FIG. 1.

FIGURES 3 and 4 show, in a lateral view, the slide in the positions for opening and for closing the toothed edges of the zipper respectively.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section A-A of FIGURE 1.

With reference to FIG. l, the pulling device comprises a tab or drawer 1, 'which slides along a bracket 2 which has a double T section and the shape of a C. By reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, it is evident that the said tab 1 can travel along the circumference of the bracket 2 and, as a result of this, one can apply the slide, according to the invention, and the pulling device thereof, to garments and other objects which are reversible, for example double-faced windproof jackets, due to the fact that both the opening and the closing of the zip-fastener can be carried out from both sides of the zipper.

Between the arms of the bracket 2 there is inserted (FIG. 1) the slide 3 according to the invention, which has two covering surfaces 4 and 5, joined to each other at 9 and provided with two longitudinal projections 6, 7 and 6', 7'; these longitudinal projections 6, '7 and 6', 7', which act as a guide and a joint piece respectively, engage in their respective grooves 8, 8. The bracket 2 is slidable longitudinally on slide 3.

On the upper covering surface 4 there is a groove 10 (FIG. 2) into which a locking spring 11 is inserted, constructed of a curved metal wire, one angled end 12 of which is anchored in a slot 13 (FIG. 2) vertically across the two covering surfaces 4, 5 While the other angled end 14 is lodged in a slit 1-5 in the upper covering surface; the said angled end 14 engaging itself in the toothed edges of the zipper underneath it (not shown) thus prevents the movement of the slide 3.

Apart `from being bent at its'ends 12, 14 as already described, the spring 11 is bent so as to form an obtuse angle rwhich corresponds i-n extent to the portion 4a of the upper covering surface 4 which separates the end of the groove 10 from the slit 15.

Inside the angle 16 of the spring 11, and transversely with reference to such angle, there is situated a pin 17, which forms part of the inside rib 18 of the bracket 2, while from the opposite part and in correspondence with the covering surface 5, a stop 19 is provided yon the rib 18 for the end 12 of the spring.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, if the bracket 2, by means of the tab 1, is subjected to a pulling movement, the small pin 17 pushes upwards either one or the other sloping side of the angularly bent portion 16 of the spring 11, so that the angled end 14 frees the toothed edges of the zipper (not illustrated) and the slide 3l is able to move, in this way bringing about the normal opening and closing of the zip-fastener.

As soon as the said pulling action ceases, the small pin 17 is pushed back to its middle, idle position by one of the said sloping sides of the bent portion 16 of the spring 11 and thus the angled end 14 is able once again to engage itself in the toothed edges of the zipper.

The small pin 17 thus carries out two functions: rst, it lifts up the spring 11 from the locking position (FIG. l) and, by pushing against one or the other side of the elastic means, allows the slide 3 to be shifted by means of the bracket 2 and the tab 1; in the second place, the small pin 17, with the assistance of the angled spring, limits the travel of the bracket 2, which cannot slip olf the slide, there being also the holding effect of the stop 19 which comes up against the end 12 of the spring 11.

made along the line The principal characteristic of the slide 3, according to the invention, lies in the fact that it is possible to take its pulling device to pieces with a view to replacing any of the parts which may get broken or worn out.

The procedure for so doing will now be described.

It is obvious from what has been described above that the spring 11 serves to keep the pulling device and the slide together.

If therefore one raises, with the point of a pin for example, the part bent at an angle 16 until the angled end 14 not only cornes off the toothed edges of the zipper and out of the slit 15, but is also moved away from the latter, the said pulling device, consisting of the bracket 2 and the tab 1, mounted slidably on it, is released.

In fact if the spring 11 be now turned through a delinite angle with respect to the slot 13, the said pulling device can be slid off the body of the zip-fastener and then the spring 11 can be removed from the said slot 13.

Once removed from the slide 3, the pulling device can be easily separated into its two parts, since the tab 1 will slide round on the inside rib 1S and thus come away from the C-shaped bracket 2. To re-assemble it, it is necessary first to insert the tab 1 on the bracket 2 and then one inserts the spring 11 in the slot 13, and slides the longitudinal projections 6, 7, and 6', 7 into the guide grooves 8, 8'. Lastly the spring 11 is turned and lifted so that its angled end 14 penetrates into the slit 15 of the slide 3.

What I claim is:

1. A slider for zip-fasteners, comprising a C-shaped bracket of double T section with an inside rib and two opposed ends slightly projecting on each side,

a pulling tab movable along the inside of the circumference of said C-shaped bracket,

a slide having an upper and a lower covering surface joined to each other and each provided with two longitudinal projections acting respectively as a guide and a joint piece,

a substantially L-shaped locking spring of metal wire with extensions including an upper and a lower angled end,

a first slot extending across said upper and lower covering surfaces at the joined portion and serving to receive the shorter leg of said locking spring, said ower angled end engaging said lower covering surace,

a second slot in said upper covering surface, accommodating said upper angled end of said locking spring,

said bracket being longitudinally slidable on said covering surfaces and actuating said spring,

a stop on the inside rib of said C-shaped bracket for engagement by said lower angled end of said locking spring to limit the movement of said slide, the arrangement being such that the upper angled end of said locking spring passes through said second slot in said upper covering surface to engage between the teeth of the toothed edges of the zip-fastener, thus locking automatically the slide in the desired position along the length of such toothed edges, the slide being adapted to be moved by virtue of a pulling action to be applied to said C-shaped bracket by means of said pulling tab.

2. A slider as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking spring has a portion bent at an obtuse angle adjacent said upper angled end and a pin is located in and extends transversely across said obtuse angle, said pin being secured to said inside rib of said C-shaped bracket, so that when a pull is exerted on said bracket by means of said pulling tab the said pin will urge against one side or the other of said obtuse angle of said locking spring to cause the upper angled end of the spring to be disengaged from the toothed edges of the zipper and leave the slide free to move along the Zipper.

3. A slider as claimed in claim 1, wherein a longitudinal groove extends along said upper covering surface of the slide to cooperate with said first slot for anchoring and retaining said locking spring.

4. A slider as claimed in claim 1, wherein said longitudinal projections of said covering surfaces of the slide engage in two grooves extending over almost the entire length of each of the arms of said C-shaped bracket for joining the latter with said covering surfaces.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,477,439 7/ 1949 Carlile 24--205.14 2,697,261 12/1954 Bernascon 24-205.14

FOREIGN PATENTS 186,213 7/1956 Austria. 350,944 2/ 1962 Switzerland.

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner. 

